Gamification - Cory Antonini

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Gamify My Lesson Tool

By answering a few questions, this tool will walk you through the selection of game elements and instructional strategies for 'gamifying' a lesson or unit of learning. Throughout the 4 steps, you will be encouraged to read gamification integration tips and best practices that are based on empirical evidence. At the end, you will have a printable gamified lesson plan. Click below to get started.

Earn Me!

Step 1: Learning Goals

Curriculum Outcomes and Learning Objectives

There is a tendency in gamification literature to describe the learner as a "player." However, we must keep pedagogical goals in the forefront while planning or else we run the risk of trivializing learning outcomes.

Instructions

Type or copy and paste a learning goal for your lesson in the box below and click "add". You may choose to put in curriculum outcomes/expectations, and be sure to add your goals one by one (break up or chunk the lesson). For example, if the lesson is to write an essay, you should add a number of goals: 1. use graphic organizer to generate ideas; 2. outline introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion; 3. Produce a draft; 4. Peer edit; 5. use transitions; 6 write and submit a final polished essay.

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Add Learning Goals

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Learning Goals

My Lesson

Step 2: Information Feedback Game Elements

As an educator, you are already aware that providing feedback is critical to good teaching practice (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). In terms of motivation and engagement in gamified learning, game elements provide the learner with feedback regarding their progress, which sustains student engagement (Cheong et al., 2014). Kapp (2012) noted that performance information elements are typically delivered in two forms: (a) as a reward for completing a task completion achievement) or (b) as reward that shows the degree to which the player performed a task (achievement measurement).

Instructions

Now you will pick some Information Feedback Elements for your lesson. Be sure to, pick one or two elements from each column (click on them to add them to your lesson). Remember, some elements work well together. For example, points (a completion award) go well with leader boards (a measurement award). You can click on the for information on elements. Be sure to click Tips for my Lesson to match elements to learning goals. Also, click here to review research on game elements and for integration tips that help you choose the right element for the right reasons.

Research Background hide research

Game elements have been shown to fulfill learners' psychological needs (da Rocha Seixas, Gomes & de Melo Filho, 2016; Harrold, 2015; Kwon, Halavais & Havener, 2015; Ryan & Deci, 2000), such as needs for self-efficacy, autonomy and relatedness (social needs), which are critical to intrinsic motivation in learning (Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Research shows that while completion awards are easiest to implement and the most common, relying only on completion awards may undermine intrinsic motivation (de-Marcos, Garcia-Lopez, & Garcia-Cabot, 2016; Hanus & Fox, 2015; Mekler et al., 2015; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Therefore, it is important to combine the two types.

Integration Tips

Completion achievement elements are often badges, points, levels, or virtual currency awarded when a task is completed; whereas measurement awards and achievements often take the form or rating scales (i.e. 4 out 5 stars), progress bars, leader boards and percentages that show the player how well they performed in relation to others or some other standard (Kapp, 2012). In gamified learning, then, educators should treat measurement achievements like descriptive feedback, an established educational best practice shown to increase self-efficacy, motivation and performance (Hattie & Timperley, 2007; Kapp, 2012).

On the other hand, completion achievements are akin to extrinsic motivators and can be used to overcome initial disinterest. Deci and Ryan (2000) note that many educational tasks are not inherently interesting or enjoyable, so "knowing how to promote more active and volitional [. . .] forms of extrinsic motivation becomes an essential strategy for successful teaching" (p. 55). Therefore, completion achievements should be used to reward tasks that may be inherently boring or uninteresting (Kapp, 2012). Used early and sparingly in a lesson, completion awards have the potential to make learners internalize the value of a task; this internalization can lead to feelings of self-efficacy and therefore intrinsic motivation (see self-determination theory; Ryan & Deci, 2000).

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Completion Achievement Tips for my Lesson

Achievement Measurement Tips for my Lesson

My Lesson

Step 3: Instructional Game Elements

For effective gamification that increases intrinsic motivation, it is not enough to simply rely on measurement and completion feedback game elements. Instead, effective gamification design must consider how game elements combine with instructional strategy elements (i.e. mastery, freedom to fail, choice, etc.) to fulfill psychological needs. Click here for more research on instructional game elements and motivation.

Research Background hide research

The measurement and completion achievement elements are quite concrete. However, many gamification frameworks describe game elements that are conceptual or abstract (Cheong et al., 2014; Hamzah et al., 2015; Dicheva et al., 2015). These elements will sound familiar to educators. For example, teams, healthy competition, collaborative tasks and challenges to meet goals are common strategies in both videogames and classrooms.

A few game elements, however, stand out as particularly effective instructional strategies: freedom to fail, performance contingent difficulty, challenges and choice. Videogames allow players multiple attempts at tasks without experiencing in-game penalties; this is known as freedom-to-fail, and it can be viewed as being equivalent to the instructional strategies of mastery learning and mastery grading. As well, games often adjust the complexity of the tasks depending on a player's performance. In educational terms, this is very similar to the educational practice of scaffolding and zones of proximal development (Kapp, 2012). Finally, games often allow different pathways to completing tasks, which allows for players' autonomy, which is a critical aspect of motivation. In fact, the interaction with game elements produces emotional and psychological effects in learners (Cheong et al., 2014; Hamzah et al., 2015). When learning fulfills needs of self-efficacy, autonomy and relatedness (social needs), students are more likely to be intrinsically motivated (da Rocha Seixas, Gomes & de Melo Filho, 2016; Harrold, 2015; Kwon, Halavais & Havener, 2015; Ryan & Deci, 2000).

Instructions

Choose one or two game elements that also function as sound instructional strategies. Click the tips for my lesson for help matching your educational goals to instructional strategies.

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Instructional Elements Tips for my Lesson

My Lesson

Congratulations!

You have successfully completed all steps. Your lesson template is below. Click to fill in some specfics. When done, you can print it. Click here If you would like to start over from stratch.

Lesson Outline

Teacher:	Subject:
Learning Goals / Objectives
Information Feedback Elements Completion elements will be used to award: (fill in) Measurement elements will be used to evaluate: (fill in)	Instructional Game Elements (Describe your instructional game strategy)
Notes / Lesson Description
Lesson notes Introduction of lesson: (fill in) Schedule of lesson: (fill in) Materials / Technology: (fill in) Assessment / evaluation tools: (fill in) Reflections:

Instructional Element	Supports	Needs Fulfilled
Choice	Differentiation	Autonomy Self-efficacy
Collaboration / Teams / Guilds	Collaborative Learning Experiential learning	Autonomy Self-efficacy
Freedom-to-fail	Mastery Learning	Autonomy Self-efficacy
Narrative	Experiential learning	Autonomy Self-efficacy Relatedness
Adaptive Difficulty	Experiential learning Differentiation Zones of proximal development	Autonomy Self-efficacy
Challenges / Quests	Experiential learning Differentiation Zones of proximal development	Autonomy Self-efficacy Relatedness

Gamify My Lesson Tool

Earn Me!

Step 1: Learning Goals

Curriculum Outcomes and Learning Objectives

Instructions

Gamification Planner

Add Learning Goals

Learning Goals

Step 2: Information Feedback Game Elements

Instructions

Research Background hide research

Integration Tips

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Step 3: Instructional Game Elements

Research Background hide research

Instructions

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Congratulations!

Lesson Outline

Notes / Lesson Description